LESSON 1.42
Advanced Tests for Adjectives
In an earlier lesson, you learned the test for adjectives:
Adjective = N + extremely
If a word you have not yet identified is associated with a noun and you can put extremely in front of it, then it’s an adjective. For example:
time machine
machine is a noun: the machine
time is a noun: the time
time is not an adjective
Also, we cannot put extremely in front of it: extremely time 
hot sand
sand is a noun: the sand
hot is not a noun: the hot
we can put extremely in front of it: extremely hot
hot is an adjective 
Advanced Test 1:
Another test for adjectives is—
Adjectives = N + -st
Here, you have a word whose part of speech you haven’t identified. Then, instead of trying to add extremely in front of it, try to change the ending to -st. If you can, it’s an adjective. For example:
The hot sand
The hottest sand
Hot is an adjective
However, the test does not always work:
The counterfeit money.
The counterfeitest
Counterfeit is an adjective, but the -st test does not work.
The money was extremely counterfeit.
Advanced Test 2:
Another test for adjectives is—
Adjectives = N + most
Here, you have a word whose part of speech you haven’t identified. Then, instead of trying to add extremely in front of it, you can add most in front of it. For example:
The rapid heartbeat
The most rapid heartbeat
Rapid is an adjective
However, the test does not work if the word is a plural:
The rapids
Rapids is a noun.
Trees and Adjectives
In trees, adjectives occur with the noun they describe. We will color adjectives orange. Adjectives are closely related to nouns, and orange is close to brown – the color of nouns.
The quiet kid near the back wall is funny.
Small Group Activity
Draw and label the parts of speech for the following:
- That happy hippo with the big dark eyes ate a hungry crocodile.
- My bumblebee hummingbird flies faster than Superman.
- I pray to God whenever my soul is weary.
